With the current Liberal government, incredulous is a word that keeps appearing. Over and over, like some kind of sick re-run of the film Groundhog Day, each new sunrise brings the opportunity to view something you would have never believed possible yesterday..The Liberals have repeatedly stated they will pay fair market value for the 2000+ types of rifles and shotguns they arbitrarily prohibited in May 2020, but as they were less than truthful about so many things, only a fool would take them at their word..The Liberal government wants to hire licensed firearm businesses to come to your home, destroy your firearm in front of your eyes, then transport your ruined property to a destruction facility. All before you are paid a dime..This news came out in a July 14, 2022, Public Safety Canada Request for Information (RFI) to see if anyone is willing to be the Liberal government’s scapegoat for door-to-door pick-up and destruction of “newly prohibited firearms (NPFs)”..What is clear from this RFI is the Government of Canada has no intention (at this point) of using law-enforcement or military personnel or resources for the collection of “newly prohibited firearms (NPFs)” under the May 1, 2020, gun ban by Order in Council. They want civilian companies to take on the confiscation and destruction of your private property while you wait for a (maybe) cheque from the Feds for your already-destroyed property..“The listed firearms prescribed for prohibition represent 80% of registered rifles in Canada, the majority of which are located in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.”.The RFI specifically seeks businesses with “licensing, training and experience in safely collecting, handling, transporting and storing firearms in Canada” and requires confirmation of the business’ “ability to render firearms inoperable at first point of contact.”.Of course, the million-dollar question rears its head; is it worth being the government’s scapegoat for seizing and destroying the private, lawfully purchased property of Canadian firearm owners?.That depends on your perspective and the quality of your character..There are always greedy Quislings who will happily dip their hands into the government trough while telling themselves that “Someone’s gonna get the thirty pieces of silver. Might as well be me.”.This program will be no different, with one important exception..Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government will, with a straight face and all the faux sincerity they can muster, legitimately claim they did not destroy anyone’s private property, and they will happily out their “partners” as evidence that they didn’t confiscate or destroy anyone’s guns..Will once-trusted businesses in our community become pariahs by falling for this Liberal bait-and-switch?.Guest columnist Tony Bernardo is the executive director of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association
